Orlaith Cullinane began her graduate studies at Chelsea School of Art in London, holds a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Belfast School of Art and has undertaken extensive post-graduate studies in painting and drawing. She has been a member of Bridge Street Studios, Dundalk since 2015.
She has received bursaries and awards from Arts Council Ireland, FE McWilliam Gallery, Northern Ireland, Louth County Council (Create Louth) and been awarded residencies in Iceland (Olafsfjordur), France (Les Perles, Barjols, Provence), and Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig.
Orlaith has exhibited at the Royal Ulster Academy annual show in Belfast, in group shows internationally and held solo shows at the Triain Arts Centre, Armagh City and the Markethouse Theatre and Gallery, Armagh City.
Her work is held in private, public and corporate collections in Ireland, UK and USA and she has completed numerous private commissions.
Previously she worked in sculpture and print, costume design, interactive multimedia, performance, short film and animation in figurative and abstracted styles.
“Drawing – mainly using pen or charcoal – is the basis and beginning of all my work.
As a way of finding, recording and working out ideas, of getting to know a subject in an almost tactile sense, as a method of study and observation, as a means of reflection, contemplation, experimentation and expression – drawing is essential to my practice.
Throughout, my focus has remained on the body – in presence and absence – and on the possibilities of transformation and transcendence in and of the everyday moments.”
